Calgary mayor hates ‘awful’ new public art installation — a large blue circle that cost the city $471,000

It stands 17 metres tall and cost $471,000. It is a large blue circle. And it is not popular.

Calgary’s latest public art installation, officially titled Travelling Light, has instead been nicknamed the “Ring of Ire” and the “Big Owe” by local media — and trashed by the mayor.

“I don’t like it, I think it’s awful,” said Naheed Nenshi, adding the project predates his election as mayor. “I understand that it’s an engineering feat to balance it on its edge like that. I think it’s terrible. It was chosen by a panel of five citizens who curated it.”

Mr. Nenshi said the city received 55 submissions for proposed public art along the Deerfoot Trail. Only three came from Calgarians; the winning design was German.

“Now, I don’t like it, but sometimes art is divisive.”

Despite his personal dislike of the sculpture — the big circle is topped by two blue parallel sticks that resemble streetlights — Mr. Nenshi defended the city’s policy of devoting 1% of its capital budget to public art. Council tweaked the policy in the last term, which should allow for more flexibility, and make future installations more accessible to the public, the mayor said.

“I think that putting art where people are whipping by at high speeds is maybe not the best use of that 1%.”